Passenger vehicle (PV) registrations crossed a fresh milestone in January, touching 539,543 units, the highest ever recorded in a single month, according to JATO Dynamics. Volumes rose 12.9% year-on-year from 477,764 units a year ago, pointing to a strong, retail-led start to the year.
Maruti Suzuki retained its leadership with 229,456 registrations, up 6.7% year-on-year, though its market share slipped to 42.5%, down about 250 basis points. Hyundai Motor India followed with 69,539 registrations, posting 13.1% growth and a 12.9% market share.
Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar Motor rounded out the top five with 67,110, 66,036 and 36,504 registrations, respectively. Kia India ranked sixth with 31,544 units, recording a sharp 37.7% year-on-year increase. In contrast, MG Motor India, Honda Cars India and BYD India reported year-on-year declines, reflecting rising competitive intensity.
SUV Dominance
SUVs continued to dominate India’s PV market, accounting for 56.3% of total registrations, while compact hatchbacks contributed 24.4%. At the model level, Tata Nexon led the charts with 20,484 units, followed by Maruti Suzuki Wagon R (19,303 units) and Tata Punch (17,742 units). The Maruti Suzuki Swift and Maruti Suzuki Baleno completed the top five.
Petrol-powered vehicles remained dominant, accounting for 56% of registrations, followed by diesel at 17%. Electric vehicles, while still a small share at 4%, continued to gain traction, with 19,249 EVs registered in January, up from 15,288 in December 2025.
Fuel Mix Trends
Urban and metro markets together accounted for 451,903 registrations, while rural areas recorded 87,640 units, posting a strong 20.9% year-on-year growth. Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune led city-wise registrations, while Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat topped state-wise charts.
Ravi Bhatia, president of JATO Dynamics India, said the performance was driven by strong nationwide demand, rising consumer aspirations and wider model availability, reinforcing India’s position as the world’s third-largest automotive market.
